Beyond Body Positivity: You Deserve Body Liberation
How is your relationship with your body feeling today?
If what you just thought was some variation on “could be better,” you are not alone. Many of us struggle with body image, and it’s no surprise considering the overwhelming amount of messages we are inundated with from a young age about what bodies should look like, what they should do, and how much space they should take up.
I’m sure we can all remember messages we received about our own bodies and how we are “supposed” to exist in them, whether we heard them from a family member, picked them up at school or work, or absorbed them from the media we consume. Corporations are more than happy to profit from spreading these messages, too, pouring millions of dollars into ad campaigns that tell us we have to look a certain way or have a certain kind of body in order to be valuable. This narrow and harmful standard, further perpetuated by systems of oppression like racism, sexism, heterosexism, cissexism, ableism, and others, can leave us feeling disconnected from our bodies or critical of the way we show up in them.
Despite this, the reality is that we all inherently deserve to be present in our bodies now—not if or when we reach some arbitrary and distorted standard. As our bodies change in shape, size, ability, and expression throughout our lives (as all bodies do), we deserve to show up in them as they are. We deserve to express ourselves in ways that are authentic to us, without being told to fit some mold that doesn’t reflect our truth.
In other words, your body is worthy of care, not because of its appearance or any other characteristics, but because it is yours, carrying you through this life.
The Body Positivity and Body Neutrality Movements
Rooted in the fat liberation movement of the 1960s, the body positivity movement encourages people to love and embrace their bodies as they are. The movement began as an act of defiance against narrow beauty standards, advocating for the acceptance and inclusion of all body types. Later, the body neutrality movement emerged as a response to the pressure of loving one’s body at all times, emphasizing instead the idea of respecting our bodies without judgment or emotional attachment. While body positivity focuses on love and celebration of the body, body neutrality invites individuals to focus instead on functionality.
However, some activists have argued that the aims of the body positivity movement have been diluted over time, shifting from ending appearance-based oppression to simply expanding society’s definition of what is “beautiful.” Others have made the point that the body positivity movement has been co-opted by more privileged voices, leaving out the concerns of people of color, queer and gender expansive people, and people with disabilities.
As a result, an increasing number of activists have advocated for a movement that accounts for the systems of oppression that prop up body shame.
Body Liberation: Moving Beyond Body Positivity and Body Neutrality
Popularized by activists like Tigress Osborn, Lindley Ashline, Gloria Lucas, and Sonya Renee Taylor, body liberation builds on the foundations of body positivity, body neutrality, and fat liberation, incorporating an understanding of the systems of oppression that perpetuate body shame and calling for those systems to be dismantled.
According to body liberation, systems of oppression like racism, sexism, cissexism, heterosexism, classism, ableism, and more combine to teach us to view our bodies and their possibilities through a narrow and harmful lens.
Body liberation calls for a new framework entirely—one where people of all shapes, sizes, and abilities are not simply accepted, but are liberated from the systems that seek to control our relationship to our bodies.
Body liberation allows space for the complexity of emotions we feel about our bodies, especially when those emotions arise from very real systemic harm. It challenges the idea that our worth is tied to our physical appearance, what we can do, or even how we feel about our bodies. Instead, we are inherently and permanently worthy of love, care, and goodness.
Cultivating Body Liberation in Your Life
If this resonates with you, here are some small, intentional steps you can take to cultivate a deeper and more liberated relationship with your body. Some may speak to you more than others, and those may be a good place to start!
Connect with your inner child: As activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor writes, “We did not start life in a negative partnership with our bodies.” You may remember a time that you felt particularly connected and present in your body as a child, whether you were running, playing games, dancing, or just feeling the warmth of the sun. Connecting to that time in your life can remind you of the care and joy you still deserve today.
Honor rest and recovery: Our bodies need time to rest, sleep, and recharge. Rejecting hustle culture and giving yourself time to recover is one way you can honor your body.
Engage in joyful movement: You deserve to be in your body in ways that feel good and fun, not like a punishment or obligation. Whether you enjoy dancing, hiking, walking, stretching, or other forms of movement, you can connect with your body by doing what you like, just because you like it.
Set boundaries around body talk: Set boundaries around how and when you want to talk about bodies, and what kind of conversations are okay with you.
Affirm your body's autonomy: Regularly remind yourself that your body is your own, and you have the right to make decisions that serve its well-being without needing approval from others.
Celebrate small wins: Unlearning all those pervasive messages we’ve absorbed takes time. It can help to be gentle with yourself about the pace of your progress and celebrate every win, whether it is setting a boundary, doing something just for you, or listening to what your body needs.
Connect with others on a body liberation journey: Community is a powerful place to get support, learn, unlearn, and create collective change toward the end of these oppressive systems. Whether online or offline, you can seek out support and offer kindness, encouragement, and solidarity to others as they work toward their own body liberation.
Connect with nature: Noticing and appreciating the vast array of sizes, shapes, abilities, expressions, and colors that exist in nature can be a powerful reminder of your part in it.
Fostering a more affirming, authentic, and compassionate relationship with our bodies can be a lifelong process. As you embark on this journey, remember that you are worthy of love, respect, and celebration just as you are. You don’t have to do this alone. Counseling or talk therapy can help.
If you are interested in working with a therapist around body liberation and self-love, I would love to talk! I’m currently accepting new clients, both in person and telehealth across GA, with evening and weekend availability. You can schedule a free consultation with me here.
